#we really didn't need a dragon even though he did need us

[fbwzoo]

Blehhhhhh Ed is doing really well and I'm super happy about that but

We discovered over the weekend that one of the rats has something going on, Pippi. She's lost a lot of weight and was lethargic when we noticed she was off. Jack's been giving her a soft food mix we made every night since & that's definitely making a difference. She has more energy, and possibly gained a bit of weight back. But we're not sure what caused it in the first place.

She has a vet appointment on Friday, soonest we could get. But we can't afford to do bloodwork or anything. Hoping maybe it's a respiratory infection and they can hear from listening to lungs, and we can just try antibiotics to see if that helps along with the food.

But really upset at the thought that we can't do a work up on her because we've spent so much helping Ed.

[scorpioriesling]

Could I request a fourth wing xaden x reader where she gets hurt on a mission and xaden just goes bat shit protecting her injured/dying body “nobody touches her” style?

Nobody Touches Whats Mine

･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *

Pairing(s): Xaden x reader

Warning(s): posessive Xaden, light description of injury

Summary: When you are hurt on a mission and Garrick is the one that brings you back to safely, your boyfriend doesn't take the gesture so kindly.

SR’s Note: Ooh we love a posessive, dark shadow daddy don't we? The girlies that get it, get it. Enjoy nonetheless! <3

Tags: @mellowmusings @rcarbo1 @lilah-asteria @kitsunetori @velarisdusk @nctsawrus @freakishfandomfiend (inbox me or comment if you'd like to be added!)

･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *

It throbbed. Throbbed.

"How much longer?"

Your question came out so breathless, you throught Garrick may not have heard you. Reguardless, he glances worriedly down at you.

"Ten minutes."

His response is short, and the way his grip around your waist tightens reconfirms his worry. You'd never been particularly close to your boyfriend's best friend, however he was the only one able and available to help you today when you got hurt.

Xaden would loose it when he saw you.

You knew it, Tairn knew it -- and you were sure Garrick knew it, too.

His hold tightened on you again as Chradh prepared for the final descent, and your muscles strained as the winged dragon dipped lower among the clouds. The drop in altitude made you see stars, and you began seeing black spots at the corner of your vision.

"Hold on!" Garrick shouted, despite holding you practically in his lap. "Just a few minutes, Y/N. Please Gods -- hold on."

You tried, really you did -- but the effort was nearly more than you could handle. Between the pain spreading from your lower leg up through your thigh, and the throbbing in your head -- you were tempted to let unconsciousness overtake you.

Surprise had your eyes winking open once more as the brown scorpiontail landed, the gesture much softer than you were used to with Tairn. Loathing gripped your gut as you realized he probably did it out of pity -- at you, your situation, your injuries.

Garrick quickly unstrapped from the harness behind you, making quick work of unhooking your security straps before sliding down his dragon's foreleg. He gripped you tight to his chest, and you seethed in pain at the movements. In minutes though, his feet hit the ground and you were repositioned once more; this time, lying limply in his arms.

You gazed half-lidded up at the afternoon sky, gray with the incoming storm. The light breeze brushed the wisps of loose hair across your forehead, but you were in too much pain to bother brushing them away.

The moment of peaceful bliss, however, dissipated as your boyfriend cleared the entrance of Riorson house.

"What in the Hell happened, Garrick!"

His usually calm tone was gone, replaced with what could only be described as pure fury. You craned your neck to search for him, you sight catching on his large approaching form.

"Xaden I did the best I could-"

You felt a niggling sense of guilt as you felt Garrick's heartbeat pick up speed. This was, truthfully your fault -- if you hadn't left to search the isle in the first place, this wouldn't have happened, and another cadet would not be being blamed for your injuries.

"You didn't try fucking hard enough," he roared, his voice now hovering over you. Your eyes met his, and your brows knit at the absence of his mask of cool calm.

Garrick quickly lifted you into Brennan's grasp -- you hadn't even registered his approach -- as he continued shouting with his best friend. Brennan stared sadly at you, turning to bring you inside and get to work.

"She needs attention on her leg, and probably her head-" Garrick called, and your brother only nodded. You peered around his arm, looking back at the grizzly scene you retreated from.

Xaden shoved Garrick, his rage more palpable by the second.

"You should have been the one paying attention to her to begin with!" He raged, and Garrick glared at him.

"I fucking was, Riorson! Why the fuck do you think we came back so quickly? I did everything I could-"

Xaden growled, grabbing his friend by the jacket collar and snarling in his face.

"You didn't do enough."

It was the last thing your brain could process before your eyes closed, your brain spiraling into unconsciousness.

✧･ﾟ: *

When your eyes opened once more, the sun had set and the light that filled the room came from overhead. You squinted, raising a hand to shield some of it from your vision. The room was quiet, smelled of saline, and seemed too bright for midnight — despite the moon hung high in the sky outside.

You made to sit up, wincing in pain as your leg muscles defied you. Glancing down, you took in the sight; your leg, bandaged around the knee with stitches peeking out from beneath it.

Great.

Recollections of what happened earlier begin coming back to you, all the way from arriving at the isle early in the morning to the wyvern battle to Garrick, unstrapping you from Tairn in an attempt to fly you back to safety.

Tairn.

You reach out mentally, your chest heaving as your breathing became shallow. He'd been conscious enough to fly himself back to Aretia -- at least, that's what he had communicated before Garrick had swept you away on Chradh's back.

You try again, unable to get any kind of response from him. Your train of thought is interrupted when the door slowly swings open, your favorite person appearing in the doorway.

Xaden.

"Xaden..." you whimper, your eyes filling with tears. He strides over to you, sitting on the edge of the bed and immediately wrapping his arms around you. Shadows brush lightly across your legs, tickling lightly as they made their way up to your arms. Breathing in his familiar minty scent, you relax a little, the world's problems fading ever so slightly.

He pulls back, gazing straight into your eyes when he speaks.

"Brennan said you'd be awake soon." You nod, and he pulls you into his chest once more. His strong arms hold you so close, and you have to practically pry yourself from his grip to look up at him again.

"Xaden... today, I-"

"I know," he interrupts, his gaze roving over you in an assessing manner. "Garrick filled me in."

His calm tone was so at odds with the way he absolutely lost his shit earlier, and you level him with a look.

"So, you know it wasn't all his fault, then." You state, and Xaden sighs.

"Yes -- don't worry, I apologized. We made up," he assures, but you only fold your arms over your chest.

"You really shouldn't have yelled at him like that, Xaden. Going on the mission today was a choice I made," you reiterate. "A choice I made, knowing full well that Wyvern would likely come for us."

His brows pinch, his eyes loosing their warmth. "Right -- a rediculous choice, at that. Why would you think going into unknown territory, unarmed, without me was a good-"

"Oh my Gods, Xaden," you sigh exasperatedly. "Just because you weren't there doesn't mean it would have gone differently if you were."

He huffs, his hand gently caressing your cheek.

"It might have." He says quietly. "I could've prevented... this, maybe." He gestures to your leg. "And if not, I could have been the one to carry you home."

His voice cracking on the last word sent a wave of fresh tears gathering in your waterline, but you grinned nonetheless.

"You didn't like that Garrick was touching me, did you."

It came out as more of a statement than a question. Xaden's dark eyes met yours again, and he leaned in to press a kiss to your lips.

"I never want anyone else touching what's mine. Whether it be a wyvern, a darkweilder, fellow rider or even my best friend. You are mine."

✧･ﾟ: *

[gingybimby]

Tested Patience

Synopsis: You have one final thing planned for Sylus on his birthday. You've shown each other your vulnerable bellies, so you hope he's interested in playing.

Warnings/Notes: Sylus/fem!reader, Sylus/MC (you are MC), Blatant NSFW (MDNI), BDSM themes, established relationship, dragon sylus and you know, follows after his birthday event, breeding/breeding kink, knotting, panties shenanigans, pure fluff/no angst, no use of Y/N

I didn't mean for this to be so late Q-Q Life and such and such. Same universe as the this Dragon!sylus, doesn't need to be read to be understood. They're both standalone. I didn't really edit anything. If I cross post to AO3 eventually, I'll make the effort then.

wc: 4.8k

“You look like the kitten that ate the canary, sweetie.” Sylus’s amused observation followed you into the Onichynus base.

“Who me? I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m just happy we got to spend your birthday together.” You glanced over your shoulder at him with your smile.

You were rewarded with Sylus’s soft laughter and felt delight rush from head to toe from the sweet sound. You had texted the twins to go find something better to do for the evening and they’d responded to you with a flurry of emojis and variations of “ew” and “gross” though Luke did include brief “take pictures” that had made you swallow a snort at the time. Even Mephisto wasn’t butting heads with you this time, having performed this once in a lifetime favor of queueing up a custom playlist of favorite songs. A compromise seeing as the crow couldn’t exactly get a record safely set up and you’d faint if anything happened to that custom record Sylus had made of both your favorite songs he gifted to you on your birthday.

“So the music that is conveniently a nice mix of our favorite songs is just a final piece to the day you planned?” 

Sylus was starting to prowl. You could tell in the way his gaze narrowed in on you, taking slow, measured steps to corral you against the kitchen island. The thrill of it pooled a welcome heat in your belly but you stopped him with a single finger to his chest, where you could feel his heartbeat. It was rarely ever at a slow pace, always pumping like he was mid-exercise. You wondered if it was due to his nature in these brief moments you take to notice the speed of it.

“Don’t think I don’t notice a predator that’s got me in his sights.” You hum softly to him, trailing your finger along his shirt, teasing the buttons as if you were going to undo them any moment. 

Sylus’s controlled inhale was all you needed to know that he was going to take your bait. As if there was a world where he wouldn’t. He loved it when you had these little schemes of yours. You knew how to play into his every desire just as he did yours.

“Just how do you plan to handle this predator, Miss Hunter.” Sylus’s voice had dropped to a near growl and it took all your effort to suppress the shiver that wanted to dance up your spine.

“Oh, he’ll go quite willingly into my trap I should think.” You started to circle around him, knowing it put him more at attention by reflex. “I’m just curious if his patience is deep enough to stay in it. How quickly will he break, I can’t help but wonder.”

You slip your hand into his, pulling him along behind you. He follows, chuckling in that dangerous way that makes your hairs stand on end.

“You’re playing a dangerous game, sweetie.”

“Aren’t we always? Where’s the fun if not in a little danger? I can take it, thorn or claw.”

You felt his long fingers flex in your hand briefly, things left unsaid but no less understood. You loved that about this, about him. This absent need for words when the two of you came together like two halves of a whole. No matter what he could read you, and while you still stumbled occasionally, you were confident that you could read him too.

Opening the door to his bedroom you had to contain your urge to grin. There was a very carefully placed chair as close to the center of the room as you could manage. A chair Sylus instantly recognized with a slow exhale of a chuckle. Always willing to explore desires with you, he’s tied you to the very same chair many times before. Always he’d dance masterfully along a line of pain and pleasure that left you reeling and in this floating space afterwards that he always brought you back from with such sweet words and tender care. You had no delusions of trying to replicate what he did, but you had some ideas you’re hoping he’d be interested in.

“If you wanted to play, kitten, all you had to do was ask.” Sylus purred at your back, hand nearly slipping from yours until you held tighter. He always reaches for your waist first, casually saying once that it simply was where his hands belonged.

“I do want to play.” You nodded, pulling him towards the chair before finally stopping and turning to face him, suddenly feeling your face heat up.

“While I didn’t plan for our whole talk on vulnerability earlier, I did want to try something different.” 

You struggled to speak over the forming lump in your throat and not think about how intense Sylus was watching you. He was always like that, you tried to reason with yourself, but you knew it was different. Still, you knew he waited patiently, even as your hand fidgeted in his.

“Control is important to you.” You finally manage, looking at your entwined fingers. “Important, but exhausting. Always making decisions, always thinking of every scenario, every way something can go wrong, and the steps to make sure it doesn’t. I just- I wanted you to have a moment to let go of that and… and trust me to hold it for you just for a little bit. No thinking, just feeling.” 

You felt his hand on your face and instantly nuzzled into it with a sigh, almost nervous to see his reaction to your stumbling rambles. Almost. Your eyes flicked upwards to look at him and it left your heart racing at the way his cheeks and ears had gone that cute shade of red you adored. He looked at you like you were the most precious thing in the world and it was only in these special moments that you truly felt it. You bit your lip when he breathlessly said your name.

“You’ve had control this whole day.” His gentle words made you take in a quivering breath. “Do you have any expectations for how this ends? Something about testing my patience…?”

Now his other hand was on your other cheek, cradling your face as he kissed you momentarily. Soft and sweet, all his feelings in a single action. An action of pure, unbridled love that burned his insides with its heat. A flame you willingly gave yourself to if only so the two of you could burn together.

“As long as we go to bed happy and satisfied, how we get there is part of the fun.” You affirm with his lips just barely parted from yours. His answering quirk of his lips had you buzzing with renewed excitement.

“I think we can work with that.”

You had to resist the frantic delight rushing through you as he gestured to himself as if to say “do as you please.” You first point to the chair, voice quiet and firm.

“Sit.” 

As he did, you went to the collection of playthings you prepared and slid a long, narrow piece of black silk into your hand and walked behind Sylus with it. His posture was relaxed, but you were able to see his anticipation the way his fingers drummed along his legs. You kissed the shell of his ear while draping the silk over his eyes. These eyes struck fear into the denizens of the N109 zone and anyone stupid enough to become an annoyance on his radar. For you, they were an endless expression of adoration.

“The silk one is nice.” He commented quietly. You usually asked for a linen or cotton blindfold since it felt the most comfortable to you.

“I thought you might like it the best.” 

You kissed his temple while taking your time to tie the ends together. Firm. Secure. You slid two fingers beneath the fabric before draping your arms over his shoulders to kiss the top of his head. Your hands run down his chest, toying with the buttons again.

“Good?” You asked quietly, going agonizingly slow undoing one button at a time.

“Very good.” Sylus purred in response, relaxing his head back into the softness of your chest.

“You need to wear this again. I like it.” You comment on his extravagant birthday outfit.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

You removed each accessory from his clothing with a methodical slowness, as if it were a sacred ritual. One piece at a time, your fingers trailing along exposed skin for moments longer than necessary. Your body heat would move around him, tease him with your closeness, but he kept his hands down. He didn’t reach for you, though the little twitches in his hands when you’d drag your fingernails lightly over his exposed collar bone or his wrist told you how much he wanted to. 

“You’re doing quite well keeping your hands to yourself.” You praised before kissing just below his ear, drinking in his labored inhale.

“It’ll take more than this for me to give in, sweetie.” You loved the smugness in his voice. The complete confidence. You wanted to ruin it.

“Oh I know.” 

Your words were punctuated with you easing the suit jacket off of him, treating it with extreme care like everything else. You held it selfishly close for a moment, basking in his scent that clung to the fabric. His fancy cologne was a custom mix meant to enhance his natural scent and fuck if it didn’t do its job. You could bathe yourself in this smell and still it wouldn’t be enough. There was also the barest hint of motor oil and gunpowder that always clung to his skin and even these you found yourself enjoying more than you thought possible. You loved your pistols long before him, but being reminded of Sylus everytime you discharged shots into a wanderer was a silent pleasure beyond making the area a little safer.

Hanging the suit coat up, you returned to your lover’s side and plucked the few remaining buttons loose. He always reminded you of those grand marble statues a master artist carves over the course of years to attain perfection. Sylus shivered with a quiet curse when you suddenly raked your nails down his abdomen. Hard enough to whiten the skin before blood rushed in to leave faint red lines trailing your movement. You watched him for a moment, taking in the barely controlled breathing and the way he wet his lips.

You were painfully silent. He loved to hear you be it talking, singing, or his favorite being your sounds of pleasure. His senses were already greater than any humans, so you maintained your steady breath so he wouldn’t even get the pleasure of knowing how much this ruined you as it did him. His hands were curled into fists now. Not quite white-knuckled, but you’re sure you could get there if you wanted. 

When you removed his shirt, your knee just barely nudged against the prominent bulge in his pants. Light enough that it could’ve been an accident. You grinned to yourself seeing those fists clench tighter and hearing your name on his lips so quiet like a prayer. 

Again, you were dragging your hand from shoulder, across his chest to the other shoulder. You trailed your knuckles up from there, feather-light in your drag up his neck and cheek. He turned his face into your hand, panting like he needed the contact to breathe easier.

“Put your arms behind your back, love.” You murmured to him, rewarding his careful restraint with an open caress to his cheek.

Going back to your selection of toys, you picked up blood red ropes. He’s tied you with these very same ones, forcing your legs to be spread and hands pinned to your back. He always talked you through the way he tied your body up, letting you watch. You’d spent countless nights practicing the very same ties to keep his arms behind him so when you started the careful knotting Sylus hummed.

“You’ve planned this for a while.” He murmured, starting to calm his breathing now that you weren’t touching him constantly. “You can go tighter sweetie.”

Your pause was only momentary, nodding, then going to make things tighter.

“Better?” You lifted your hand to run in through Sylus’s hair, always tickled how he turned into your touch like a needy puppy. You had half a mind to say as much.

“Mm. Let me teach you next time.” 

You grabbed his jaw to turn his head to the side, pressing a tender kiss to his lips. He tried to be greedy by biting your bottom lip and despite your grin, you pulled back with a click of your tongue.

“Naughty boy.” You hummed, watching his hands easily flex behind his back with his low chuckle.

You quietly retreated to your own personal wardrobe Sylus long since let you claim for yourself. Hidden at the bottom beneath some loungewear was a simple black box that contained lingerie you got when Tara dragged you into a boutique because she wanted help finding something cute, but sexy. You didn’t pry, but something had caught your eye. The saleslady noticed immediately and talked you into buying it. She was very good at her job.

“Changing into something? I can’t wait.” 

You stuck your tongue out at Sylus even if he couldn’t see it. Then you slid your panties down your legs and watched his whole body tense, head turning in your direction. You pulled on the lacy under-things. The sheer fabric was stitched with decorative roses and hugged your figure. Pulling on the garters and stockings it matched with, you scooped up your soiled panties to return to your boyfriend’s side.

“Kitten…” Sylus exhaled when you drew near enough. He pulled against his restraints and growled softly.

You settled onto his lap, legs straddling his thighs. His groan was instant, head dropping to land in your tits perfectly held together by the lingerie. You held in your own noise feeling his cock throbbing against your ass. Your own restraint and patience would be tested before this was done.

“You must be aching.” You coo. “Poor thing.”

You drew your hand up his side to his chest, playfully circling a nipple with your nail. It made his hips buck into yours, making you gasp softly. It was all he needed to latch onto your neck, dragging his tongue over your skin and bite into it with blunt teeth. A part of you wanted to give in then and there, let him take you, but instead you dragged your hand to the back of his hair and yanked back non too gently. Sylus whined being dragged away from your neck and feeling your weight leaving his lap. “Wait- no. Come back, kitten. I’ll be good.” Sylus panted, desperate to feel your body against him.

His desperation went straight to your core, making you want to touch your aching clit. To drag his cock from his pants and ride him stupid. You clenched your wet panties in your hand, using the hand in his hair to drag his head back again.

“Open.” You ordered, managing to sound far more authoritative than you felt. You watched his hips buck into nothing.

He obeyed, after a few moments. Perfect lips parted to open his mouth to you and you leaned in close, murmuring right against his ear.

“Be grateful for this. I was half a mind to not let you have this at all for that stunt.” You shoved your panties in his mouth, letting him have a mere taste of the want you’ve felt all day. A truly weak noise broke its way from his throat, letting you see his arms strain and hips sadly rock into nothing. You noted, however, his teeth were tightly clenched now. A beast given a toy and now unwilling to allow you to take it back. You even tugged lightly on the waistband of the underwear only to be growled at, making you grin.

“Nasty.” you whispered through your glee. “I wore that all day and you’re gnawing on it like a dog with a bone.”

Sylus was silent, save for his low growling. He didn’t care if you were right . He was unwilling to let his prize go just for the sake of a few words lest you take it away from him. Your faint touch to his thigh made him jump as you circled him again to your collection of goodies.

Your grin was positively wicked as you eased the top off a small ice box. You popped one icecube in your mouth and took another one with you as you silently put the lid back over the box. Playing with temperatures has become one of your favorite things with Sylus. The sting of hot wax hitting your skin was horribly delicious and he looked at you with such reverence painting your stomach with the quick-to-cool wax.

“You must be burning up, love. This should help.” You hummed sweetly. 

You pressed the ice cube to his beating pulse in his neck and watched his head lull to the opposite side with a groan. You could feel the accusation that you were being so mean to the needy birthday boy.

Dragging the ice down along his collarbone, you watched the melting liquid bead down his chest in tiny rivulets. Then you circled a nipple with the ice while teasing the zipper to his pants. It fascinated you to see black scales faintly start to collect along his limbs. His restraint was waning. If that hadn’t been obvious before, the way he jerked his arms and snarled slightly certainly did. You paused your ministrations, watching his chest heave with every breath.

“You’ve been so good so far, love. Is this the end of your patience?” It was an unspoken challenge. Both of you knew he could end this at any point, throw you onto the bed, and claim you again and again until you couldn’t think anymore. Still, your words seemed to remind him of himself and his worked up thrashing settled down, even if the scales remained.

You waited a few more moments before dragging the nearly melted ice cube to the other nipple, pressing in to the area until it melted to nothing while you dragged open the zipper to his pants. You drew a heart into his chest with the wetness remaining on your finger. Palming his cock through his underwear made your pussy clench around nothing. You felt ridges and heavy pulsing veins. A needy sound tore from Sylus’s throat as you touched his neglected cock, rocking desperately into your hand.

Instead, you tugged the rest of his pants and underwear down with his eager assistance. His cock throbbed against his abdomen, tip an angry red and weeping with precum. You kneeled between his legs, hands resting on his knees so he could feel you. The ice cube you popped in your mouth has long melted, but it still left it a pleasant coolness to your lips and tongue.

You kissed the underside of the tip, letting a hand settle at the base of his cock to rub your thumb lightly against the outline of his knot. His hips only twitched, moans muffled by the panties he still stubbornly held onto. That was until you dragged the head of him into your cool mouth and dragged your tongue along the weeping slit. 

His jaw dropped to make the most toe-curling groan you’ve heard from him. It made your clit pulse and ache. Nearly made you trip over your own concentration.

“Fuck. Fuck, kitten. Don’t stop. Please don’t stop.” Sylus begged you. He repeated his soft pleas, more desperate than the last, and your name. You knew he was close with the way his breath hitched and how his knot swelled slightly. You let him sit at the edge, staring up at him with a diabolical grin. Your lips left him with a soft sucking sound to be met with his frantic whining. Your hand dragged down below that slowly swelling knot and squeezed. Whining melted quickled into begging before settling back into snarling like before. 

“You’re okay.” You chided, resting your head against his knee. You felt a sense of awe and wonder seeing twisting horns adorn his head. “Wouldn’t you rather cum inside me?” Sylus settled, the ropes that had started whining in protest going silent. Only his ragged breathing filled it.

“Yes.” A single word in response, rough in a way that dragged down your spine. “I want to see you.”

You shivered. He wasn’t asking, begging, or demanding. It was a simple command that you stood up to obey immediately. You couldn’t resist when he talked like that. 

Your fingers were trembling slightly as they tugged the knot you made loose. Slowly silk dropped from Sylus’s eyes and the moment his eyes were free, they were staring at you- and it took your breath away. Red eyes burned into you, dilated pupils constricting in response to the soft light of the room. They never left your face.

You thought maybe you should say something, lips parting, but all that escaped was a shocked yelp as something curled around your waist as Sylus stood. That’s when you realized with a rising anticipation, that he’d been freed from those ropes the moment they’d gone silent. You could hardly process that it was a tail wrapping around you because he was backing you up towards the bed.

You fell back onto it with a gasp, flushing as clawed hands ran down your bare thighs to push them further apart for him to settle between. This was one of those times where he was unreadable to you. Was he upset? That was opposite of what you wanted. Uncertainty gnawed at you as you laid a single hand against his abdomen, a silent request to stop. He did, but his tail curled tighter around your waist.

“Did… did you not like it?” You hated that you sounded so small even to your own ears.

You felt his tail flex around you a few moments before he was crawling over you, settling between your legs like it was where he belonged. Your lip quivered as his hands, so gentle despite the claws, held your face. He leaned down, resting his forehead to yours, eyes closed before pulling back slightly to see you again.

“It was… more overwhelming than I expected.” He breathed quietly. “But yes… I liked it very much. Too much, maybe, because everything in me wants to act like a beast in making you mine. My mate. Mine to claim.”

Relief flooded you, so much so that you smiled and giggled, draping your arms around his shoulders and neck to pull him closer.

“Well… We did see a lot of different animals today… annddd I’m still an animal- and so are you.” You hummed, tilting your head as his face buried into your neck, the rumbles he made sounding like purring. “You showed me your vulnerable belly, I’ve shown you mine. What are we if not mates?”

Sylus didn’t really respond in words. He pulled your legs over his hips so that he could slide his cock into you in a single, easy movement instead. Bites were littered along your neck as he rocked in an almost lazy manner into you.

Your growing noises were music to his ears. Every gasp and sigh made up for the ages he’s gone without your presence. You were there, in his arms, right where you should be. “Sylus.” His name on your lips was its own blessing. One that dragged his head back just so that he could look at your flushed face, still dolled up in this pretty lace he resisted tearing apart when pushing it aside so he could slip into you.

“Does biting me act as a claim for you?” You asked, touching his face. So gentle. You were always so gentle with him.

“Yeah.” He murmured, dragging a hand up to your mark-riddled neck, tracing the harsh indents in your skin. “But so is filling you up. Claiming you. Letting the whole world see you carry my children. It drives me mad, imagining your belly round with my baby.”

You choked back a sob of pleasure as he finished his words in a growl, shifting slightly so his next thrust hit even deeper. You were clenching around him, needing him as badly as he needed you. 

You barely needed to tug at a wrist before his hand slid between your legs, rubbing tight little circles into your swollen clit. It was just the thing you needed as you started arching your back. Every inch of him was like it existed purely to please you. The ridges on his cock dragged against that delicious spot inside you that made you buck your hips in time with his. Even his knot, teasing at your entrance, drove you mad, knowing it’d plug you up with the intention of ensuring you didn’t leave the encounter without getting pregnant.

Then, Sylus practically bent you in half. His tail shifted to support your lower back as he pushed your legs up, nearly making your knees touch your shoulders. The next thrust from this made you wail, clawing your nails along his arms. The tip of his cock met your cervix and you swear you were starting to see stars.

“Sylus! Hhaa…Fuck! Fuck… close- ‘mso close, baby. Please! Wan’ you to cum with me… Sylus… need you-” You frantically babbled with tears in your eyes, overwhelmed as your orgasm was just on the cusp of hitting.

Sylus groaned deeply, watching you come apart around him. Such a sight will never fail to ruin him as his hips stuttered.

“My pretty girl… my mate…” He breathed out, shaking when he looked down between you to watch as he fucked his knot into you. It took several heartbeats before he forced it inside your tight pussy.

The denial earlier mixed with the rhythmic pulsing of your pussy made him whine as he was finally cumming in you. Greedy rolls of his hips tried to make it all go deeper, like he wanted it all right in your womb. 

He gently rolled you both so you could rest on him, knowing his knot wouldn’t be fading anytime soon. Not when his cock was still weakly spurting cum in your full pussy until it felt like  your belly itself grew taught from it all. It was like those holidays where you’d eat your fill and then some. 

As both of your breathing started to even out, you lifted your head to look at him. He was already watching you, as he always was.

“You know… I like how humans show their claim.” Sylus broke the silence with a lazy smile. “Metal bands decorated with gems. Eye catching. Obvious. A statement.” He reached to twirl some of your hair around his finger. “Would you want something like that?”

You could hit this man for the things he says like it's nothing. Instead you just gawked at him lifting your hand to push your palm against his cheek, only for him to take it and kiss it.

“Sylus!” You gasped in exacerbation, not sure if you should laugh or cry because his dick was still buried in you, but he might have just-

“Are you asking me to marry you? Right here? Like this?” He tilted his head like you were being the weird one, still sporting that lazy grin.

“I was just asking if you wanted rings. You said it yourself, what are we if not mates, hm?” He chuckled as your face scrunched up and you tried to playfully shove his face again, and again he caught your hand. This time he drags his sharp teeth along your palm.

“If you want it to be a proposal though, that’s fine too.” 

He said it so casually, but the words made it impossible to think.

“...You can come up with an actual proposal and surprise me.” You finally landed on, trailing your finger down his nose. “Since we both know the answer is yes.” 

Despite his nonchalant demenor, his face went completely red. He was so easy to read sometimes. It made you laugh softly, smiling at him as everything settled and just felt so right.

“Happy birthday, Sylus. I always want to celebrate this day with you, because you being born means I get to have you in my life.”

Sylus’s gentle eyes and smile that bordered with deep emotion left nothing unsaid as he leaned in to kiss you. You alone are the reason this day has any meaning, and he’ll celebrate it with you every year in this life and the next, because him existing means he gets to have you.

[radiance1]

Inspired by @puppetmaster13u and various dragon aus they have.

BUT! This is also a bit of a fantasy/DnD au I guess...? IDK BUT HERE WE GO-

Okay now so, I'm imagining that that Danny, Tucker, and Sam create a pocket dimension for their game via the use of reality warping (via scepter) and something given to them by Pariah Dark before he went off on that whole honey moon thing with Clockwork.

For the record, Danny isn't the ghost king here, Pariah Dark is he's just the prince.

Sam created a garden from the barren earth, that eventually grew into a great forest and spread out to the rest of the world, which technically made her the creator of life but anyways. So, she's holed up in said garden turned forest.

Tucker bestowed upon his subjects (after they were made of course) knowledge and technology and is regarded as the greatest teacher in that world's history.

Danny? Oh yea he became that one that giant dragon that everyone knows is there, is afraid of, and just sleeps all day in this one specific place. You'd have to cut him some slack though, because no one told him creating a world and its laws would be so hard even with help.

That and him, as the one with basically the most knowledge and resident fanboy of space, created the stars surrounding the place as well!

Of course, they couldn't stay there all of the time. What with work (Tucker), high-society (Sam), and studying (Why the heck did Danny decide to go to collage again?). That entire place was just made to play around in before they had to go their separate ways and be, you know, actual adults, so it was easy enough to let go of it really.

Except for Danny. Not of any great reason, really, he just needed someplace where he could quietly study in peace, nap, think or just get away from the Ghost Zone before he had to go through all that princely nonsense again. Plus, none of their creations in that pocket dimension really wanted to mess with the giant fuck off dragon who was said to created the place anyways.

For the record, Danny is more of an eastern dragon in design with a long body rather than western. So that probably just added more into his intimidation with his sheer length.

So, you know, of course he would have been none too pleased when someone actually did disturb his solitude (as stated by the dimension's residents) as soon as the world was thrown off-balance by an outside force.

Meanwhile, Klarion the Witch boy is having the time of his life coming across a whole world that somehow hasn't been affected by Order or Chaos. So he's capitalizing on that.

Then he came across a place that was said to be sacred, not that he cared, and then came across a boy who didn't look a day over his teens (which frankly doesn't say much in regards to immortals) with a frankly long tail that looked longer than he was tall and very majestic looking horns.

Danny was annoyed yet curious, Klarion was surprised yet delighted.

[l-in-the-light]

Law didn't know about the kids in Punk Hazard

This will be an unpopular opinion, because fandom loves to think Law is so shocked here because of Strawhats crazy antics. But I believe that the actual reason why Law looks so horrified is because of the kids. He didn't know Caesar was experimenting on kids and right under Law's nose. He spent months there and yet he didn't know.

How is that possible? Because Law had to agree to two conditions so Caesar would allow him to stay on that island: 1. give up his heart in exchange for Monett's 2. not be nosey about Caesar's research. And if Law would break that deal, his heart would get crushed at any moment. So why would he break the deal before he would figure out how to get his heart back? He stayed there for months and I doubt he needed to stay there for that long, he was just stuck there because of that stupid condition. And yet soon after he found out (thanks to Strawhats), he reacts like this and betrays Caesar:

I still have no idea who Caesar reminded Law of. At first I thought "Doffy, right?" but Doflamingo despite being manipulative never had to actually drug people not to leave his side, that's exactly why he is so scary in the first place. My current bet is Vegapunk, for two reasons:

1. Everything Caesar does or did is implied to be a copy of Vegapunk's inventions, just worse quality: artificial zoan fruit dragon = smile fruits, that's why Caesar knows how to "respawn" devil fruits as well, don't think it's his own achievement. Also we're being fed to a lie for the whole duration of Punk Hazard: Caesar isn't the only person capable of producing SAD, Law reveals it on Sunny on their way to Dressrosa: "he only found an use for Vegapunk's lineage factors" - which means any other scientist could have done the same as long as they knew the method. At first Vegapunk was also part of the illegal science group of Punk Hazard, which means both him and Caesar did experiments on humans (prisoners, Kaido, Alber, but not kids, but it's still experimenting on humans). All things considered it doesn't have to be a stretch that Law might mean Vegapunk here, after all he did read a lot about world government's experiments that were previously done on Punk Hazard (he did share a bit about gigantification for example and that was also an experiment Vegapunk was involved in!).

2. It could have been Judge, but I don't think Law ever met him. His surprise at seeing Stealth Black for real was enough of a proof to me, he never met any Germa before.

Remember Flevance and all the kids dying? Or Law's novel when one of the first feats Law does after forming Heart Pirates together with Bepo, Shachi and Penguin is to rescue people from pirates? I even think it mentions "rescue kids" specifically.

Staying on Punk Hazard and having a deal with Caesar who experimented on kids and Law having no idea about it must have been a big blow to him. He probably thought he's partially responsible for that. And despite the fact we don't see much of his emotions in that arc, we do see two little hints of it:

Overreacting much? He didn't really need to cut them up, seems like he released his anger there.

This one's easy to miss. He eats while looking at the kids, gulps his soup in one go and throws away the bowl. For someone so calm and composed that seems like such an uneccessary display and has like nothing to do with his talk with Smoker. But if we compare it to a certain someone having a flashback to his trauma, it all suddenly makes sense:

I see the parallel here, even though it's subtle.

In summary: Law wasn't a cold bitch, he was actually genuinely traumatized after Punk Hazard. That line between "good" and "evil" the marines painted feels even more symbolic, all things considered. Law believes himself to be a villain there and hates it.

Bonus: Yes, I remember that Law told Strawhats to forget about the kids when they told him they want to save them. He probably thought they can't pull it off or maybe he still felt bound by his deal with Caesar. Instead of being a counterargument I feel like it just makes the whole thing worse: he thought there's no way to save them which in turn for sure made him feel even worse about himself. He ended up being what he hated the most: the government's decision of not even trying to help Flevance and dooming it, just like Law himself doomed the kids.

Strawhats literally saved his heart a little bit there, in Punk Hazard. Didn't help him feel better about himself, but made him believe slightly more in miracles.

[pomefioredove]

hi! May I get a sugar cookie #12 with powdered sugar and marshmallows please? Thank you!

BIIIIG cat stretch - aaand I'm back to writing! thank you to everyone for your patience

order #12, sugar with marshmallows and powdered sugar

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ drip brews and dragons

tropes: coffee shop au, roommate au characters: sebek additional info: romantic, gender neutral reader, reader is yuu, post-NRC

"Ha! You would not last a day,"

The words left Sebek's lips with such confidence, such pride, that, if you hadn't known him, you would have taken them as insult.

You do know him, though.

At least enough to know that when he said that, he meant it, not as an insult, but as a challenge.

Now, you didn't necessarily need the work. Even after moving to Briar Valley with Sebek some years ago, you were more than supported. You had his family, Lilia, Silver, and, of course, the prince heir Malleus Draconia, who came over for tea and gossip every Thursday evening.

Sebek's position paid handsomely nonetheless.

No, you weren't desperate for money.

It was merely something to do. And since living in Twisted Wonderland as Crowley's underpaid and overworked assistant, you had become quite the coffee maker.

Sebek was rather convinced that the effort was fruitless; what use would nocturnal fae have for coffee? And fae taste buds can be quite different from humans, may he remind you.

You would complain of it in a day, he said.

You, of course, were convinced otherwise.

And thus, it began.

"Rough day?" you ask a pacing, grumbling Sebek.

His mouth snaps open, but nothing short of breath comes out. He, with some strenuous effort, swallows what he was about to say (or, really, shout), and smiles.

"Not at all. It was quite nice. Yours?"

You almost tell him about the customer who had cursed the espresso machine. But, you only smile. "Nice as well. Aren't we in a good mood?"

You both laugh. It's uncomfortable.

The next day is the same. Sebek is practically steaming out the ears as he tells you about how lovely the senate is, and you fake another laugh as you tell him how polite your manager is.

He forces a toothy grin as he brags about his position, and you throw out your arms as you brag about your tips.

It only worsens.

"Ready to admit defeat, yet?" he asks, "Because I DO LOVE the castle's noise regulations!"

"Not in the slightest. I love my job!"

"I LOVE MINE MORE!"

"NOT MORE THAN ME!"

"IMPOSSIBLE! YOU PEDDLE SWEETS WHILST I DEFEND THE DRACONIA LINEAGE! NO ONE LOVES THEIR JOB MORE THAN I!"

"I PROVIDE SUSTENANCE TO THE PEOPLE! I CLEAN UP AFTER MESSY CHILDREN AND GIVE CUPS OF WHIPPED CREAM TO PET GHOULS!"

"HA! TRIVIAL! I OBEY EVERY RULE AND REGULATION THE SENATE IMPOSES ON MY LIEGE, NO MATTER HOW RIDICULOUS!"

"WELL, I LET CUSTOMERS SHOUT AT ME ALL DAY AND DON'T SAY A WORD BACK!"

"I SEE TO THE SENATE'S EVERY DEMAND!"

"I SEE TO THE CUSTOMER'S! AND IT'S AWFUL!"

"HA!" Sebek smirks, pointing right at you. "You admit it! A weak-willed human you are, you would not last a single day under the stress of my position!"

"DOUBLE HA!" you point back. "You admit you're stressed!"

"I did no such thing!"

"You did, too!"

"It was you who complained first! Therefore, I win!"

"Fallacy, Sebek! Fallacy!"

He holds his ground, as if he's about to tackle you, and you hold yours. "Admit it! I won!"

"NEVER!"

Malleus and Lilia, who have, of course, been sitting on one of the nice couches in the small living room for the duration of the conversation, share a look.

"Shall we stop them?" the latter asks.

"No," says the prince, smiling, "I am rather entertained by the romance in the room tonight. I say we give them another ten minutes. My ears have not started to ache yet."

[solkara]

❛ 𝐅𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐎𝐑 𝐅𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 , jacaerys velaryon and baela targaryen ❜

⌗ 𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲 , you were born a fighter you had to be the life you lived didn't allow you the liberty of comfort growing up not knowing any form of affection until they came

⌗ 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 , jacaerys velaryon x fem! fighter! reader x baela targaryen

⌗ 𝐬𝐨𝐥'𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞 , omg this was so much fun to write !! had so many idea's ngl so I'm doing another part after this so I hope you like it <3

previous part , house of the dragon masterlist , next part

⌗ fear was an unfamiliar feeling to you. being a fighter and all. but you felt it now. as you walked with the guard up to the royal box. you tried to rack your brain for what you had done wrong. what could you have possibly done to warrant being summoned to the royal box?

⌗ "be at ease you are not in trouble" the voice of princess rhaenyra broke you from your thoughts. "my son's and their betrotheds merely wished to greet the incredible fighter who won their bout with such ease". you felt yourself let out a sigh you didn't even know you were holding. as you looked at the four in question. tipping your head in appreciation.

⌗ the four quickly introduced themselves. which they didn't need to do as you already knew who they were. heck the seven kingdoms did too. "what's your name?" the youngest lucerys velaryon asked. with innocent doe eyes. you quickly introduced yourself with a slight smile.

⌗ "how long have you been a fighter?" the question from prince daemon didn't surprise you. as many before him had asked how a woman such as yourself wound up with a carer as an arena fighting. "as long as I can remember my prince" to which he nodded. "it seems you have aren't the respect of your fellow fighters" princess rhaenyra then asked as she observed you with a fond smile.

⌗ "respect is earned over time princess, and I have been doing this for a long time" to which she nodded in understanding. before lucerys swooped in front of his mother again. bombarding you with questions. though you didn't really mind. you thought it was endearing. as he asked about everything from your strength to your weapon. which you let him hold. "could you teach me how to fight?" he asked excitedly.

⌗ "I'm sure prince daemon is an excellent teacher prince lucerys" you said awkwardly not wanting to offend either party. "I'm sure him having one more teacher on dragonstone wouldn't hurt him" the rogue mused as he sipped his wine. watching his family interact with the fighter with piqued interest.

⌗ "dragonstone? my prince my place is in kings landing" you asked confused as to what was going on. "we would like you to come with us to dragonstone, as a personal guard of baela and teacher to both my sons" the heir said with a soft smile as she watched your astonished expression. "you will be paid well and receive a title with time, but only if you wish for it. if not you are free to remain in king's landing as a fighter, the choice is yours"

⌗ at this moment in time you were speechless. the offer sounded to good to be true. but was that going to stop you from taking it. no. "it would be my honor princess" and with that you were brought into the embrace of an ecstatic lucerys. which you hesitantly expected. as physical touch had never been your strong suit. you were so happy that you did realise the two sets of eyes that had never strayed from you since your arrival.

⌗ that was six moons ago. and life was better than ever. you were a high member of princess rhaenyra and prince daemon's trusted guard. you trained daily with daemon lucerys and jacaerys. dragonstone had become like home to you. and to make things even more interesting you had seemed to have caught the attention of two unexpected individuals. baela and jacaerys.

⌗ the two had welcomed you warmly to dragonstone. taking every possible opportunity to talk to you. though you failed to notice how their 'normal conversation' had a certain flirty edge. and that you would unknowingly flirt back on occasion. the pair soon realised that they would need to take a much more direct approach to capture your attention. so one day after training the two greeted you whilst you were clearing your blade.

⌗ "princess baela-" you were quickly cut off by being pulled into a fiery kiss by the rouge prince's daughter. to which you melted into as you parted your mouth slightly allowing your tongues to dance with each other. as jace watched on with lust fogged eyes. once the two of you broke apart you now swollen lips were again seized but this time by jace which you welcomed. this time feeling a lot more confident as you kissed.

⌗ as the two of you broke apart. both desperate for air. you couldn't help but look up and admire the two dragons. lips swollen hair disheveled and eyes clouded with lust. all you could mumble out was a brief "oh." now all of the conversations they had made sense. "I wasn't aware you two had an interest in me like that"

⌗ "how could we not" baela said as she leaned closer to kiss you once more. but the two of you didn't get to far as the voice of jace drew you apart. "maybe we should continue in our chambers" to which baela nodded. looking for your approval. which you quickly gave. and before you knew it the three of you were in the two's shared chamber with clothes long forgotten and the outside world non-existant.

[twst-kumi]

What about yan malleus who courts his darling with fae practices?

So what I see the most about fairies is about how they would kidnap theirs bride and very little about actual courtship. But if we are talking about wedding, I did read somewhere that both fairy couple would give each other some task to accomplish before said wedding. Of course the task must be under the spouse capacity, so they could accomplish it well.

Warning: Yandere, forced marriage.

Your name

Fairy and Fae are a very closeted species, so very little are known about them. Malleus should have thought about it before courting you. You were HIS cute little human, so pure and innocent. A quality loved by fairies on other species. Fairy are quite unfair and selfish in their expectations for other than their own kin. And Malleus are the same, if not more. For the fair folk, their human lovers (or any other species) should be pure, innocent and loyal. Qualities you already hold in Malleus' eyes. "Oh? You want to exchange name, child of man?"

He is overjoyed by this. Name hold power, that mainly why he refused to give you his name the first time you both met. Of course since you so naively told him yours, he already had A LOT of power over you. When he developed feeling for you, Malleus wanted to kidnap you at first. But Lilia convinced him not to. It was a very old and outdated rules. Too old for this modern day and age.

That why after the incident during VDC you asked to exchange name once again, he was over the moon. Malleus had yours, but you also wanted his. "Uh fu fu! I hope you understand the meaning of your word, Child of man." Before you could ask about what he meant by that, he gave you his full name. The name that will be attached to yours soon enough.

Now that you both exchanged name, you two are officially in a relationship. You both are owning each other now. Which means that you both are now on an "equal" standing... In theory. While it's true, you being magicless mean you can't really use his name against him. But Malleus will gladly oblige if you need anything from him.

But Malleus know that name isn't highly protected in human society. So even though you are both engaged, Malleus decide to court you a bit. Fairy and dragons like pretty and shiny thing, so of course the draconian prince decided to gift you with some of his prettiest gem. By then you have already learned some fairy custom so you knew not to accept a gift from a fairy without giving something back. "Oh my, you shouldn't have, my dear child of man. You don't know how much this mean to me." He laughed delighted to see you have accepted his courtship and give him another one back. It was a pretty stained glass bracelet, but seeing your financial status he guess this is the best you could find. He is even more happy when you said you started to learn Fairy custom. That mean that you did it consciously and love him too, isn't it? Malleus take it as a sign that he could finally move forward with preparing the wedding.

As per the Fairy custom, Malleus prepared some task for you. He also didn't hesitate to ask for some task for him to accomplish. Since he you are magicless, he decided to give you some easy task. Like helping polish his horn, or going on a stroll with him. One time he even demanded that you cook for him. For the task Malleus has been asking from you. They were all so simple and adorable (in his eyes) that he couldn't help but swoon. Knowing that he loved to do his laundry on his own, you asked him to help you wash and hang them. Which he did eagerly. While he enjoyed it, it felt like you were preparing him for your marital life. "Look like the roof need to be repaired. Do you want me to do it, Child of man?", "I don't want to bother you with it Tsunotaro. Are you sure?" Malleus laugh it off before fixing it with magic. "It's no problem at all." He said with a smile.

You discovered about your engagement and wedding by Lilia. The wedding approaching the retired general took upon him to teach you every thing you needed to know for your life as Malleus' spouse and future consort of Briar Valley. When you discovered it, you ran to Malleus demanding explanation. The Fae prince just smiled as if you were just throwing a tantrum. "I did warn you, Child of man. Exchanging name are proof we are now betrothed. We have already completed most of the wedding rituals now only the ceremony are left." It broke his heart he saw you trying to push him away and leave. How you called him crazy, and tried to back out of the wedding. Malleus pinned your behavior on stress. You must be very anxious about your future as his consort. It must be why. The fairy dragon sighed before using your name against you. He hugged you gently and kissed your lips softly. "I know it's a very big step. I'm also anxious about it. But don't worry, I will take care of everything." He smiled as you were under his control unable to move. This is why you never give your name to a fairy.

[kiame-sama]

Humans Are Extinct (Yandere!TWST x fem!Reader) Monster AU pt 13

(Malleus has a full dragon form that is much larger than his Humanoid form, though he rarely uses it. The few times Malleus uses his draconic form is in combat and to hold his Hoard. As a Dragon, he receives comfort from having his Hoard with him and being able to shield his entire Hoard with his own body. In combat Malleus has less control over himself as he only really fights when there is no other choice or he is enraged enough to turn his fangs and flames on the offending party. The only time Malleus would ever deign to be in his Draconic form outside of combat or comfort would be if the members of his Hoard request it of him.)

Warnings: yandere, yandere behavior, protective behavior, aggressive behavior, cursing, poachers, case made for both sides, threats, shinigami vs dragon conflict, platonic yanderes vs platonic yandere vs romantic yanderes, Cervitaur, Crow, Shinigami, Dragon, Raiju, Vampire Bat, mention of Water Nymph, more history of my AU,

~~~~~~~~

You woke up in an increasingly familiar way with your face snuggled up in the fur between Silver's shoulder blades. The warmth was tempting to give into as the rest had been deep and peaceful, but you wondered where the others had gone. Slowly lifting your head you hummed and snuggled the warm Cervitaur. Grim was laying in the space of your neck with his tail curled over his nose.

"Ah, you're awake."

"Mhh, Silver? Where did everyone go?"

"... Lord Hades has arrived and wished to speak with you, but Lord Malleus insisted he have the chance to speak his case first. Father and Sebek have gone with him. The Headmage insists we do not interrupt the conversation and tells me they will reach out when they have finished speaking."

You sighed and lay back where you had been sprawled across the Reindeer's back, cuddling your cat friend close. Concern colored your outlook on things and you wondered if you were going to be taken away from the home you had made at the school. If push came to shove, you preferred the hell you knew over the hell you didn't.

There was a part of you that wanted to say 'screw it' and invite yourself into the conversation being had over your future, as you should have greater say than anyone else on the matter. Another part of you wondered if it was best to let Malleus deal with the situation as the Dragon was likely better versed in political talks. You weren't entirely sure what Hades was like other than what you had been told, but you hoped he would be as understanding as you needed him to be.

It was during this thinking that you realized it had been a few days since you were last able to bathe in the comfort of your home. Where you had been cleaned up after the attack and magically cleaned to go to classes, it still didn't sit well with you that you hadn't been able to take care of your own cleanliness and grooming. If anything, a nice shower to scrub off the day seemed quite tempting and may help you clear your mind to have some time alone.

Still, you couldn't get there by yourself due to your still aching leg and tender arm. To think, you had been hacked with a Headsman's Axe and stabbed with a serrated blade within days of each other. Even so, the idea of having time to yourself to just relax in some hot water was a tempting one.

"Silver, I want a shower. Can we go back to Ramshackle?"

"Of course."

Silver carefully got up, keeping you and Grim in place on his back. Luckily the blanket you had been using was small enough that Silver could just take it with you. You didn't even have to adjust as he got down from the large nest, both you and Grim still cozy beneath the blanket. Part of you was tempted to just slip off into sleep again as the rhythmic click of his hooves on the ground served as a fine melody.

Students who lived in Diasomnia only spared a quick glance in your direction before getting out of Silver's way. All of them acutely aware of how seriously their dorm leader took your safety and how seriously Silver would take your safety as a result. Some were curious, but none dared to approach or bother the Cervitaur for their curiosity.

All you wanted was that bit of time alone and felt almost happy to know Silver was a natural deterrent for the curious students. Grim had yet to wake, even with being jostled and continued to nap in your arms as you lay across the Reindeer's back.

~•§•~

"So as you see, Lord Hades, though it is not an ideal arrangement, it would be improper to remove her from where she is comfortable and a crime to threaten the removal of a Hoard member of a Dragon."

The large Shinigami contemplated these words in silence, his tired eyes far too alert and sharp for comfort. Though this was an ancient being, even the weathering of time could not take away the razor sharp intelligence and strong morals from the Shinigami. Time could rob him of everything else, but it would never rob him of his wits and strength.

Despite being in his smaller form, the Shinigami towered over the others and was just as intimidating as he would be in his original large form. When the Shinigami moves others get out of his way.

"And this talk of poachers?"

"She would be threatened by poachers everywhere regardless of who it is protecting her. Better she be somewhere she is comfortable than take her somewhere new and still have to face the dangers of poaching."

"She would not be under such threat on the Isle of Woe."

There was truth in the Shinigami's words as the ancient being was solely in control of who entered his lands or not. The Isle was the only place that poachers would not be able to infiltrate regardless of effort or time dedicated. It was the ideal safe-space for a species that had already gone extinct such as Humans.

"Yes, she would be."

Malleus' interruption was odd as the Dragon was usually well spoken towards those of equal or greater standing than himself. Naturally, Hades was of the mind that everything the Dragon says should be taken with his own personal attachment to the Human in mind.

"How do you figure, child?"

"You cherished Humans and protected them before they died out, many of your kin did not. Who's to say that your own kin won't turn on her themselves? Young Ortho's disabilities are the direct result of Shinigami turning against family. Who's to say others won't do the same?"

"You make a vaild point, but the truth still stands; this is not a safe enough place to keep the last member of a contested species. All attempts at maintaining any semblance of safety have been thwarted by poachers looking to line their pockets."

"Then make it one."

"Speak again, child, I don't believe I understood you properly the first time."

"You say it isn't safe enough for her to stay here? Then make it safe for her. She is happy enough here and finds comfort in the presence of those she has befriended. If you can't do that much and insist on taking her from here, my Hoard and I will follow where she goes."

Hades actually cracked a smile at this, pleased with the Dragon's determination to keep and protect the Human in question. He had previously figured the young Dragon was only acting on instinct to keep that which was selfishly Hoarded away by a beast whose wings were too small for his ego. Now he could see that the Dragon was willing to uproot his own comfort to follow where his beloved Human goes regardless of how the choice panned out.

"You are determined to keep her, this is clear. How can I trust your Hoard won't turn on her either?"

"We have slept in the same nest since my child of man arrived at Night Raven. Lilia, my own teacher and first Hoard member, has guarded myself long enough for me to know his feelings on the matter. Silver and Sebek are my retainers and have acted as such for (Y/n) since her arrival. Sebek is newer to the Hoard, I conceed that, but he is no less protective of her."

Hades hummed at this, turning to look at two of the mentioned Hoard members. The Vampire Bat was a familiar face and Hades himself had heard of the Bat before. The Raiju was not a familiar face, but it was clear by the way he stood that he was currently standing on guard for the Dragon he protected. As humorous as it was to think a Dragon needed protection from anything, the Raiju clearly took the task seriously and even tried to stare down the elder Shinigami.

"Tell me, child, do you know why Humans need to be protected?"

"They are fragile and magicless."

"Yes, but do you know the way other species interact with Humans and why it can be so dangerous?"

"I don't believe I follow."

Hades stood now, his hands clasped behind his back as he walked to one of the windows nearby and looked out at the campus. He knew much of Humans, having been the primary benefactor and protector of the species he loved so deeply. There were many truths lost to time about the soft species, but Hades still remembered it as clear as the day he first encountered the odd simian-species.

"Humans are addictive. I don't mean in a poetic way either, Humans are truly addictive to many species. To the species that befriended them, Humans became an emotional addiction due to their own ability to cover their emotions and even model their emotions around those among them. To the species that ate their flesh, they were physically addictive and drove many- such as the early Gnolls- into a hunger driven state of madness that could only be curbed by partaking in consumption. For those that loved them and embraced them as mates, the very feel of their bodies and the emotional support they provided became addictive. Why do you think so many Fae were in such a state of mourning after the extinction of Humans? Why do you think so many Unicorns are desperate to have a Human in their life? Why do you think I took so much of my own time and resources to shelter them in my home?"

He now turned back to the group that watched him curiously, his old eyes noticing the way the Bat Fae averted his gaze. The Bat knew the addictive qualities of Humans and still sought to be around this new Human because it harkened back to his memories of Humans long since departed. Lilia had first-hand experience of how addictive it was to stay in the presence of a Human and be shown the coveted affection of those Humans. Despite the threat of addiction to this new Human, Lilia casually sauntered into forming a friendship and potentially more with the Human and knowingly allowed himself to be pulled in.

"Your teacher knows of what I speak. I know this addiction well and I know others are susceptible to it. Even you, in all your magic and power, are subject to the Human caused addiction. I would see Humans brought back to this world and treated properly by all in Twisted Wonderland, but many would see the destruction of this last Human to be the end of an age of obsession. Even now, we cherish and cling to the remnants of a species that was too weak to survive among us on their own, yet too treasured to be forgotten."

He moved back around the long conference table and towards the Dragon who tried so hard to convince him to keep the Human. There were many variables and this Human was certainly a treasure among treasures, but would the Dragon be able to stop himself from becoming addicted as well, or would he saunter into it the same way his teacher and advisor had?

"Can you say with confidence that you can protect her from the many addicts looking for their next fix? Can you assert that you can keep her safe from those that crave her very presence and flesh because of their driven need for her? Can you swear to me that your own addiction will not cloud your judgement to make decisions in her best interest and not your own? If you can, I will aid you in her protection. If you can't, I will remove her from the situation she has unknowingly entered and you will not see her again. Even if I must declare war on Briar Valley to do so, I am still able to say with certainty what would be best for her as a Human in a world of addicts. So, what say you, little Dragon prince? Can you swear to me that all you say is true?"

"..."

~•§•~

Your shower was much needed and felt like it washed off more than just the weight of the day. Silver insisted on getting you a stool to sit on so you wouldn't strain your leg by standing on it and insisted on keeping guard outside the door. The time alone was a relief as at least the Cervitaur respected your request for privacy.

Ortho had been thrilled to see you again and wanted to show you all he and Idia had done to improve your home, only backing off when you promised to take a look once you were done bathing. Luckily for you, the Shinigami was quick to agree and even tried apologizing to you for involving his ancestor the way he did. Grim assured you he would take a look at all the new things added to your home while you bathed and tell you if it was satisfactory or not.

Idia was thrilled to have the little cat-beast volunteer as it was clear the Shinigami was fond of felines. You felt comfortable enough to let the Shinigami brothers keep an eye on Grim while you bathed.

Now, as you dried off, rewrapped your wounds, and pulled on the clothes Silver left out for you, you felt more at peace with the situation you found yourself in. The clothes you were given were actually unfamiliar, as you didn't remember having the loose fit pants or the flowy shirt in your wardrobe, but you didn't have much in your wardrobe anyway. You vaguely wondered if you could convince Malleus and another Housewarden to accompany you to find clothing more your style. Of course, this also meant that you had to aquire enough funds to purchace the clothing you wanted.

"(Y/n)," Silver knocked on the bathroom door, "you've gone quiet. Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm okay. Just thinking."

"Do you need assistance wrapping your bandages?"

"Nope. I'm fine."

"Let me know if that changes."

You sighed softly, knowing it would be rare to have time to yourself but also knowing there was reason behind the almost intrusive protective behavior of those around you. If those Wolves had managed to learn about your collar enough to remove them during the attack, then others would no doubt have the same advantage. In some ways you cursed the Water Nymph for his stupid act of telling the world about you, but in some ways you recognized that if he hadn't done it someone else likely would have. He just had the misfortune of doing it first.

When you emerged from the washroom, you were not too surprised to see Silver laying outside the door. He had taken to laying down in order to help you climb onto his back as you still technically weren't supposed to walk around without aid just yet. Even as you climbed onto the back of the Reindeer, he was careful when he stood as he didn't want to jostle you too much.

"Hooman!"

Grim called out, jumping from the banister railing across from you and up into your arms. The little beast didn't seem overly upset or bothered, so you figured he just missed you. If anything, your view of Grim had become rather motherly as it was clear the young cat-beast had taken a shining to you and sought you out for comfort.

"Flames has something he wants to talk with us about. I think you should hear him out because he's actually kinda smart and the things he says don't really make sense but are good enough to believe!"

The softest of chuckles escaped you as Silver began carefully making his way down the staircase to the main common area of the dorm. You assumed that was where Ortho and Idia were waiting for you, as that was the main hub where they set up most of various device feeds to display. New curtains added over the large windows of the room had been drawn to block out a good portion of natural light. Screens were shoved wherever they would fit and all seemed to be displaying something different.

Both brothers were sitting on your couch and holding controllers, playing what seemed to be a cooperative two person game. When Silver walked in, Idia was quick to pause the game much to Ortho's dismay before he noticed you as well.

"Nee-san!"

Ortho cheered and hopped up, only the slightest stiffness in his mechanical limbs giving away his more limited range of motion. Idia stood, holding one arm and biting the sleeve of the other as you approached. It was clear the Shinigami was still nervous around you, but he seemed less stressed than he had been when you first met him.

"Hey, (Y/n), you- uh... You alright?"

"Been better."

"I figured after everything that happened... I do want to say sorry for not protecting you enough. We got assigned as your guards and you were injured that very first day. Absolute fumble on our part."

Idia sighed, letting go of his sleeve and somewhat swaying as he tried to avoid locking eyes with you. He was clearly anxious, but still trying to talk to you directly despite that feeling of stress inside of him.

"Well, I don't wanna drop this bomb on you too quickly, but we need to talk about those poachers."

"What's there to talk about? They're dead."

"But the one who hired them isn't."

"What?"

Idia gestured awkwardly to the couch as if he wanted you to sit first. Silver was quick to help you off of his back and onto the soft cushions, standing guard nearby despite not needing to in the comfort of your own dorm.

"I have reason to believe someone high up is trying to game the system an put a hit out on you. Real scumbag no-GG full of themselves type person."

"Wait, why do you think someone hired the Wolves?"

Idia turned to the large screen- a new addition among many others likely made by the brothers- and tapped what seemed to be a blue hologram keyboard in front of him. You were somewhat entranced by the movement of his flame hair and magic now that you could see both on clear display in front of you. The gemstones on his cheeks caught the light of his hair and almost made the Shinigami glitter in the low light of the room. He was surprisingly beautiful.

"I was reviewing the information about your attack and noticed some things. I hope it doesn't freak you out, but I have cameras all over Night Raven College and even a few in the forests. I don't- I can't really- I have issues with others and interacting with them. That's why I don't go to my classes, I just record them and show up for tests..."

He glanced at you then back at the screens again, his grey toned skin almost seeming to have a bit more color to it while he spoke to you.

"Those poachers went after Grim first. The one you value most and the one out of the two of you who can use magic. Then they went after your collar which tells me they knew the purpose it serves. Only those told about the collars should have known what purpose they served."

"So did one of the Housewardens hire them?"

"I thought so at first, but then I realized Headmage Crowley had to tell the various scientists and representatives what steps he was taking to ensure your safety. Looking at the lists of those who have come to Sage Island, I found more than a few whose theories on Humans would be called into question by your existence. To them, it would be better if you were gone. There were even a few who may have political motivations and that's why they hired the more beastly appearing Wolves to hunt you down instead of any other species. On top of all of this, they knew to drive Leona away from the school and deeper into the woods. You would have died of your injuries before you reached the villages and towns in the valley below the school."

"Okay, so why didn't they know about Malleus then?"

"It's kind of an unspoken rule among the Fae variants that one should not tell anyone another Fae's business. Headmage Crowley is a Crow Harpy Fae, he wouldn't dare say anything about another Fae. The Housewardens know Malleus has taken you as a Hoard member. The representatives and scientists? They would have no clue. The Wolves didn't know about Malleus and they were killed for it, but they knew about your collars."

You were surprised and shocked by the logical conclusions of the Shinigami and it did make sense. It had bothered you that the poachers knew about your collar, but you had avoided thinking about them and only now realized how odd it was they knew about them.

"None of the students here have a reason to hire the poachers. I did suspect that Water Nymph Cater for it at first, but that guy is a wreck right now and hasn't posted on Magicam since the day he took those pictures of you. He's way too deep in his feels to have hired the Wolves and he had a mental breakdown when he heard you were attacked. Talk about trying to tank when you main dps."

"Crowley said the representatives are going to come to Night Raven soon and talk about my safety at the school..."

"So they probably planned the attack to make Crowley look incompetent and get rid of you in one swoop. I've already told Papa Hades about it and he agrees that someone is controling the poachers behind the scenes. That's why he's here now. If we can find the one who hired the poachers, we can prove this whole thing is a sham to get to you or Crowley."

"So he doesn't want to take me away?"

"He does think you'll be safer on the Isle of Woe, but Papa Hades isn't an idiot or cruel. He wouldn't go against your wishes even for his own peace of mind unless he thought it would save your life. Try to cut the old man some slack, he did love Humans, you know? He has been asking about you since the moment Ortho told him you were here."

"Papa Hades?"

"It's- he prefers to be called that as our ancestor and his Humans used to call him that. Honestly, it would mean the world to him if you called him 'Papa Hades' as well. Just so you know."

You stood in silence for a moment before there was a heavy knock at the door. Silver was quick to trot over and answer it himself instead of letting you walk to the door to answer it. He seemed to have a quick word with whoever it was before someone very similar to Idia entered with Crowley, Malleus, Lilia, and Sebek.

"Hello, little one."

[teriri-sayes]

Reactions to The Light's Chapter 426

New title - 54. One Man, Two Roles, and the Chaos of the Demon Realm

Brief summary: Cale plans a play for the Demon Realm and hires Clopeh to do PR work. HD and Clopeh figures out the plan's blind spot. Cale returns to Aipotu.

==========

Cale's plan for the Demon Realm was in the form of a play. One side would act as the GoC cult and the other side would be Cale himself. The two sides would aim to conquer the Demon Realm. Thus, the new chapter title - one man (Cale), two roles (Cale as the GoC cult saint and Cale as Cale himself). 😂

How the plan was announced though, was hilarious. 😂😂😂

Raon: Something like the birth ceremony of the youngest, Eden Miru, we have to do it in the Demon Realm twice! Eden: !!! Hong: I wonder if we're doing the cool thing twice! Raon: It's not exactly the same as the birth ceremony, but it should be loud enough to fool the Demon King and the Demon Realm! Hong: I wonder what those two times are! Raon: Hehe. One is the GoC cult's conquest of the Demon Realm! Eden: Huh? *looks in disbelief* Raon: The other one, Cale Henituse's conquest of the Demon Realm! Eden: 😮 What? *looks at Eru* Eru: ... *smiles and nods* Eden: *looks at Cale in disbelief* Cale: Ahem. *avoids Eden's gaze*

Poor Eden... He's the only "normal" one in the group. 🤣🤣🤣

Meanwhile, Cale...

“…It's not real, it's a play, a play!” He emphasized the word play. He added hastily. “We're not even really fighting, we're just going to pretend like we are for a lot of times and then we're going to come back here at the last minute!” He said firmly. “It's a simple plan, really!”

Simple, really? That's definitely a 🚩flag right there...

The baby dragon with the chubby belly said sarcastically, and Cale felt weird, but he let it go. He ignored the cheeks that looked chubbier than Raon's. 'How much did they feed him?' Eden Miru. What the hell do they feed him to make him so chubby? Cale did not realize that former Lord Sheritt and On and Hong were feeding Eden Miru as they had fed Raon. Nor did he realize that the people of the 7th Evil adored their new master, Eden Miru, like an idol. Their food offerings were enough to feed the 7th Evil's Cotton Candy castle. 'Our boss is so cute!' 'Our cute boss, did you see? He was born with the light! That divine appearance! We can't lose his cute, divine appearance!' 'The baby needs to eat well, sleep well, and play well! Don't ask the boss to do the hard work!' Of course, Eden Miru did not know these things. The Vicious Dark Bear had made sure of that. Eden Miru simply cannot turn his back on those who care for him, so he eats whatever is given to him and sleeps when he is full.

Our bone dragon had now become a chubby dragon! And even had his own "fan club" with Dark Bear as the "manager"! 😂😂😂

Cale: I'll tell you what you need to do. Clopeh: Yes. Cale: I'm going to do everything in great splendor, and it should take place all over the Demon Realm at the same time. CH, HD, and Eru will also be with me and run wild throughout the Demon Realm. Your role is to support us and help us shine brighter. To draw the attention of our enemies and organize our plans. Clopeh: Fufu. I guess I'll just have to leave you alone. Cale: Huh??? No, I mean, we have to make things even more spectacular than usual, okay? With a play! Clopeh: Yes. I just have to leave you alone. Cale: What? Clopeh: If I just leave you all alone, everything will take care of itself. HD: Hmm? Eru: Huh? Choi Han: What? Eden: That's right. Narrator: They didn't seem to realize it, but as far as Clopeh was concerned, Cale and his group had a knack for turning whatever they did from a 'button hole' into a 'sinkhole'. Clopeh: (If left alone, the Demon Realm will be flipped on its own. Didn't Cale say he will pretend "a lot of times"? Perhaps for our enemies there, a catastrophe may unfold. The catastrophe known as Cale Henituse will descend upon the Demon Realm.)

Clopeh's answer. 😂😂😂 He is very aware of Cale's tendency to make things far bigger than intended. 😂😂😂 What makes it funnier is that he also included the others and not just Cale. 🤣🤣🤣 And then calling Cale as a "catastrophe" that will descend upon the Demon Realm. 🤣🤣🤣

However, Clopeh recognized the plan's blind spot: that it might make the GoC's presence greater in the Demon Realm. Even HD figured out this blind spot and talked about it telepathically with Clopeh. They were sure of Cale's success, so they were wary of the GoC cult growing stronger as a result of Cale's play.

-You must prevent that from happening. That's why I recommended you. In Heavenly Demon's opinion, no one in Cale's group was better at this than Clopeh Sekka. If it was Clopeh, he would prevent the God of Chaos cult from taking root and growing in the Demon Realm due to Cale's actions. Clopeh's smile deepened. “You can count on me.” He spoke his truth. 'Yes.' You can count on me. The God of Chaos cult will not grow. What Cale-nim has accomplished in the Demon Realm, whether it be the rewards or the worship that comes with it, all of it-' 'Only Cale's!' All you have to do is make sure that what belongs to Cale is Cale's, and that no one else has it. And it's not hard to do. “Fufu.” Everything belongs to Cale-nim! Clopeh let out a low laugh. And Cale, 'What the heck.' He was scared. 'Why is he staring into space and laughing?' Cale was seriously getting scared of Clopeh Sekka. Ron was less scary, in his opinion.

HD and Clopeh getting along was unexpected. Then again, those two were leaders of large groups, so they could see the bigger picture. Clopeh's fanaticism for Cale afterwards though. 😂😂😂 And Cale being scared of him as usual. 🤣🤣🤣

“I believe.” Huh? It was Clopeh's words. 'What is this bastard talking about?' Cale's pupils shook. “I believe that everything that will happen this time will work out for the best.” What is Cale's is Cale's. “What you believe in must come to pass.” Clopeh believed it would come to pass. “Fufu.” Clopeh continued to laugh, and Cale stepped back. Then he turned to Eden Miru. “I'll go to Aipotu first.” “Uh, yes. Go.” Eden Miru glanced at Clopeh, then turned to Cale and spoke urgently. “Go with him too.” Cale felt very strange indeed, but he took Clopeh with him anyway.

Eden subtle cry for help by asking Cale to take the crazy Clopeh with him. 😂😂😂

Cale: *arrives in Aipotu and receives a message* Message: They say that the God of Chaos cult has appeared in the Demon Realm? Cale: *frowns* What is this? Clopeh: Fufu. What you believe shall unfold as you believe. *eyes sparkle as he has a gentle smile* Clopeh: In that case, I won't need to do anything- Raon, On, and Hong: *moves away from Clopeh* CH: *also moves away from Clopeh*

Clopeh was right. He did not need to do anything as Cale's past actions were already contributing to the plan on its own. 😂😂😂 CH and the kids social distancing from Clopeh though. 🤣🤣🤣

Ending Remarks Clopeh and his fanaticism...😂😂😂 There was a mention of Cale meeting the Molans, but at this point, I'm sure the author would find another way to delay his talk with them. 🙄 Unless the author betrays our expectations and gives us the TALK next chapter.

[tenderotto]

The Time for Home

Drenagon

Teen And Up Audiences

Words:211,687 Chapters:54/54

Bagginshield, Nwalin

Oh boy! Where to begin?!

What a couple of changes to Bilbo's back story and the story for community of Ered Luin can do to the whole story one may ask... And the answer is this fic right here!

Bilbo's not quite an ordinary gentlehobbit, he's still a caring and kind hobbit, don't get me wrong, but gentle he is not. He doesn't fit the Shire, he doesn't fit where hobbits close their eyes and pretend not to see that danger exists in Arda. (Even though every single one of them knew what happened in the Fell Winter so many years ago) But where does he belong then? And more importantly with who does he belong?

But what about our beloved dwarves? Are they as simple as everyone thinks them to be? Greedy and untrustworthy? Certantly not! (Not the company at least) But what drove them serching for help out of Ered Luin and why do they end up on a doorstep of one very grumpy hobbit? Not dragons that's for sure.

If you're in search of a good laugh, good read and occasionally dubios morality then this one is for you! (Though I'd be surprised if you haven't heard about this one yet, because I am quite late to the party)

The most interesting writing style with multiple POV's of the company and other characters, that makes you feel like you're reading everybody's personal diaries! The most delicious character dynamics! The characters development! THE FIGHTS??? Oh you'll never ever skip those! Even if you're not the one for long and boring battles, you'll find yourself captivated by each and every move the boys make! You'll laugh with them, you'll cry with them, and I'm betting my soul on the fact that by the end of it you will feel thoroughly hugged by all of them.

Not only the characters are true to their original selves, but the additions to their personalities (the humor especially) feel as natural as possible! Also uncle-forgets-everybody's-names-trope

Many thanks to the most talented @drenagon ! Please let me give you my bestest hugs and thanks and anything you want really! You've made me laugh so many times I lost count. I've so many quotes (that I'll leave under spoiler line) that I revisit quite often just to have a lil giggle, you wouldn't believe. I am in love with the story you told, it's so not like the others it took me completely by surprise! Thank you again for the most joyful read, bless your soul!

Also I've added a lil doodle of one of the opening scenes above (don't think it spoils much or anything at all, maybe it didn't even happen (⁠◔⁠‿⁠◔⁠))

BEWARE SPOILERS

It is a happy ending! Found family trope! Not a lot of angst! As far from the original Hobbit as possible without losing the point of being "the hobbit"! No ring YAY! (there's one, but prettier) No BOTFA! Each family unite is perfectly developed!

Dragonsickness who??

The Killy Chronicles?! Hell YEAH!

Fatherly Thranduil!

Elladar & Elrohir!

Elrond hugs ^-^

Dwalin is actually hella smart (we knew)

And now to my fave quotes!!!

"Break anything in this bar and I will break your head as an apology to the barkeep." Thorin finished.

"Valar above, Dwalin was right."😱

"It was a tough life being an orc"

Dwalin: "And for the Valar's sake, you idiot, use me! Otherwise what am I here fore?"

Balin: "Entertainment value?"

"...then stuttered, stopped, and looked very hard at thorin. Thorin looked very hard back."

"You're late, Dwalin!" Uncle announced, giving Dwalin a stern look. Dwalin shrugged. "Oh, untwist your knickers, Thorin."

"...he watched uncle deal with the worst parts of kingship.

Treachery.

Famine.

Paperwork."

"One catastrophe at a time."

"Fine. But if anyone died he was going to be having words."

"Smaug the Fat."

"Dwaling the Immovable Object."

"Balls of mithril, the lot of them."

"Now, shoo!" Shoo they did.

"Bombur, sit on your brother, please."

"Dwalin in bed, Dwalin in bed," he muttered to himself fervently, needing the reminder more than ever.

[hellsquills]

Dragon!Stan be upon ye

A short thing for @babyblankyerror 's Dragon!Stan AU. Please go check their art because it's infesting my brain /pos

⪻ ⪻ ⨳ ⪼ ⪼

"Hello?"

Ford's voice echoes through the cavern. He hears some small steps in return that turn louder and heavier as they approach, until he sees the familiar –and gigantic– face of his dragon friend. Despite the tightness in his heart, his face relaxes a little as he greets him.

"Good night, my friend. Sorry for disturbing your dreams."

It's way later than he usually visits the creature. These past weeks, Stanford left his house around 5pm and arrived at the cave at 6, trying his best to be punctual, even though time probably means nothing to this dragon. Having this little ritual amongst his otherwise chaotic schedule helps him. Today is already dark out, not pitch-black, but enough to make the path slightly dangerous.

The beast approaches slowly, looking somewhat sleepy, and lowers its head so Stanford can pet it. It is then, as they are eye-to-eye, that the dragon stops and tilts its head.

"What? What is it?"

The creature moves its head forward, brushing its snout against the man's cheek. Ford is taken aback, shocked by the delicate and understanding move.

"This? Those are just tears, don't worry about it."

The dragon huffs like an exasperated child, as if implying that it doesn't believe a word he's saying. Stanford sighs.

"I guess I can't fool you, huh?" Another huff. "I suppose that you're even smarter than I assumed. Which, rest assured, was already a lot."

The beast turns around and lies down in the middle of the cave, much closer to the entrance than it previously was before Ford arrived. The man walks to it, accepting its silent invitation. He lies down next to its chest, which is soft and warm with all the fur covering it. He nestles against it, making a spot for himself, just like many other times before.

"I... haven't had the best of days, I'm afraid."

The dragon's head is now resting on the floor beside him, its right eye looking straight through him. As uncomfortable as he is around people staring at him, this barely bothers him. The dragon's eyes are kind, attentive, so different from all the others he's used to have on him. Something in those colors fills him with a sense of safety that helps him breathe easier. It also helps with pulling out the words from his throat.

"I had... an argument with my Muse. Which wasn't his fault, really! It was all mine. I didn't... expect him to be this angry, though." The sentence ends just as quiet as it starts. "I simply mentioned that I needed some rest during the night, that I couldn't properly carry on with my research unless I got a full night's rest, but he didn't like it. He said I was being selfish." Ford's words are slow, as if working out a way to properly covey what he means. "I understand where he's coming from, I really do. He just wants to escape his dimension– the Nightmare Dimension, he calls it. Obviously the name is already enough of a hint, but above all... I know he wanted to escape before that. No one understood him back there. I know what that's like. To be in a place where you're not welcome, nor wanted, nor understood. I really do."

The dragon doesn't move, just blinks lazily. Ford continues.

"I just asked him for a full night without him entering my mindscape and using my body to work while I slept. He says any human should be able to withstand it, so maybe I'm just weaker than average, which I already knew, but regardless. I needed some time to rest not only my body, but my mind as well. He... didn't like it. We argued, I tried to explain it to him in a way he could understand, but he was so mad... I ended up relenting, but he said it was too late. Now he couldn't forgive me. He said that... if I really wanted him gone that much, then he'd leave. And he... he did."

Ford's voice faults as he utters those last words. Nonetheless, he keeps talking.

"I didn't mean to upset him, I swear I didn't. I just wanted some time to improve myself before I kept working on the portal, but... Moses, what have I done? What if he doesn't forgive me? What if he never comes back?" His shaky voice now warns new tears. "I guess that's what I deserve for failing to keep my promise. I told him I'd do anything in my power to help him, since he's spent his entire time in this dimension helping me discover the universe. And what do I give in return? Just utter weakness."

"I don't deserve him. I don't deserve the people that cared enough to get close to me. Not Bill, not Fiddleford, not..."

The sentence cuts early, leaving things unsaid.

"What am I going to do now? I have no one else, I'm alone. I..." A shaky breath, way too close to a sob for comfort. "I don't want to be alone anymore."

The dragon is quick to react, as if it had been waiting for him to finish. Carefully, it lifts its head and puts it on Ford's lap. Noticing the man's quick heartbeat, it moves it up, until it's resting on Ford's chest. They both lay there, Stanford feeling lightheaded from his sudden panic attack and the accumulated anxiety. However, the slight but grounding pressure against his chest is comfortable, calming, and it helps him breathe despite the weight directly on top of his lungs. His hands absentmindedly envelop the creature's head, hugging it lightly at first and then tighter when he's sure the other being is comfortable with the action. Through the warmth, he can feel another sensation: the dragon appears to be... purring? Not exactly, but something akin. It's definitely vibrating softly as it breathes slowly in what seems a calculated rhythm, although that would be impossible for the creature to understand.

A memory hits Stanford as he keeps his eyes closed: the same weight on top of his torso after a panic attack. The familiar sensation of those soft vibrations against his chest, much less like an animal and much more like quiet snoring. A slow, even breathing rhythm in contrast to his agitated one.

His brother, having yet again braved his fear of heights to lay on him when he had a paralyzing nightmare. A head full of curls as unruly as the boy they belonged to beneath his fingers, now replaced by hard scales.

"Lee..." Stanford cries, not even processing his own words. He repeats it once, twice, thrice, as the sobs grow too loud to continue. The creature above him shakes slightly before returning to its previous position.

Both beings stay still in silence, save by Ford repeating several variations of his brother's name, as well as the occasional "help", "I can't", and "I'm sorry". This last one is the quietest, as if the man had a split second of clarity and realized he did not want to say it any louder.

Eventually, exhausted by the rush of emotions, Stanford falls asleep. His cheeks are damp and his face is red, but he seems more peaceful as he evens his breathing, holding the dragon's head more delicately now.

Somewhere inside the creature's head, Stan is filled with a rage that burns hotter than the flames that sometimes escape his throat. As much as he'd like to shape-shift into his humanoid form, he can't. Not until whoever that Bill thing is is shattered into a million pieces by his own hand.

[selkiewife]

Rhaenyra and Aemma

I think it's interesting we see this exchange from Alicent and Rhaenyra:

ALICENT: You're worried your father is about to overshadow you with a son. RHAENYRA: I only worry for my mother. I hope for my father that he gets a son. As long as I can recall, it's all he's wanted.

And then in the next scene we hear from Aemma:

AEMMA: Rhaenyra has already declared that she is to have a sister. VISERYS: Really? AEMMA: She even named her. VISERYS: Dare I ask? AEMMA: Visenya. She chose a dragon's egg for the cradle that she said reminded her of Vhagar.

At first I thought that Rhaenyra was hiding her true desire from Alicent for us to hear the truth from her mother. And if it were just that- no shade AT ALL. I mean, why not have ambition? Why not want to be heir? Why not want to rule?

But I do think that Rhaenyra's emotions about being heir are more related to being loved and being valued by her parents. Her entire life she has not been enough- she has seen her mother go through all of these tragic stillbirths as a child and of course she would come to the conclusion that her mother's pain and her father's insistence on a son means that she is not enough. So there is already some resentment about the idea of a brother. But I don't think it's so much that, as Alicent says, she is frightened of the son overshadowing her. It is more that she is hurt that the pursuit of a male heir has been overshadowing her for her entire life.

I do believe her when she said that she hopes her father gets a son though- even though it hurts her, she would be happy for him I think. And it would be a relief that this painful pursuit of a male heir would be over for her mother. But then why does she declare that she is to have a sister?

I think that maybe it is to make Aemma feel less stressed honestly. We see how upset Aemma is when she talks to Viserys about the pressure she is under to produce a male heir:

AEMMA: The tourney to celebrate the firstborn son that we presently do not have. You do understand nothing will cause the babe to grow a cock if it does not already possess one?

And then after he tells her his dream again:

AEMMA: Born wearing a crown? Gods spare me, birth is unpleasant enough as it is. This is the last time, Viserys. I've lost one babe in the cradle, had two stillbirths, and two pregnancies ended well before their term. That's five in twice as many years. I know it is my duty to provide you an heir, and I'm sorry if I have failed you in that. I am. But I've mourned all the dead children I can.

This is so heartbreaking. Aemma is under so much pressure and has dealt with so much grief- and feels as though she failed Viserys and the realm. And so I think that Rhaenyra is trying to boost her mother's spirits and telling her that it will be wonderful if the baby turns out to be a girl. It goes deeper, I think, than Rhaenyra not wanting a boy to overshadow her. As I mentioned before, the quest for a boy has already overshadowed he and it is not as though she will be heir (or so she believes) even if the baby is a girl. Daemon is currently heir and I am sure Rhaenyra doesn't think that will change. I think she is telling her mom she is hoping for a girl so that her mother does not feel like she failed if the baby is a girl. I think she is acting out excitement and anticipation for a girl because she feels like she didn't have that for her own birth. She probably thinks that her birth was a disappointment for her father and her mother. Should the baby happen to be a sister this time, she doesn't want the her to come into the world as a disappointment like she did. She wants her sister to come into the world wanted and valued.

I think it makes sense that Rhaenyra would do this because we can see Rhaenyra's concern for her mother in their first (and last!) exchange:

RHAENYRA: Did you sleep? AEMMA: I slept. RHAENYRA: How long? AEMMA: I don't need mothering, Rhaenyra. RHAENYRA: Well, here you are, surrounded by attendants, all focused on the babe. Someone has to attend to you. AEMMA: You will lie in this bed soon enough, Rhaenyra. This discomfort is how we serve the realm.

It's interesting that Aemma says "I don't need mothering," because her own mother, Daella Targaryen, died in childbirth (they don’t mention it in the show but it is in Fire and Blood.) So she would have grown up without mothering. It also struck me that while Aemma tries to mother Rhaenyra by giving her practical advice about “the order of things” for a woman in their world, Rhaenyra’s style of “mothering” Aemma is to point out how important she is and to ensure that she is being taken care of- and prioritizing her above the baby. It’s sad because Rhaenyra is essentially mothering her own mother in the way she wishes she was mothered. Rhaenyra wants to live in a world where, as Arya Stark said, “The woman is important too!” And it’s a glimpse of how she would have mothered her own stillborn daughter, Princess Visenya, or supported a sister if one had been born to her parents.

[cinnamontoastcrunch-15]

HAPPY ST DAVIDS DAY <33

I'm Welsh and in England (uni) for St Davids Day for it this year so have some Welsh Remus instead :)

"Hey, Moony?" Remus hears Sirius' voice, gentle and lilting, before he appears beside him. Remus shifts his weight slightly, offering him space on the windowsill. He sits opposite with a smile, and Remus does his best to offer one back. "I got you something." He holds out a box, carefully wrapped in green and white paper, tied with a shiny red ribbon. For a second, Remus just looks at it, confused.

"What...?" His eyes scan over the paper, only confusing him further. "It's March."

"I know."

"And not my birthday," he adds quickly, just in case Sirius has forgotten.

"Merlin, you have so little faith in me," Sirius says dramatically, miming being stabbed in the heart with an amused smile. "This isn't for your birthday. Just open it!" He holds the box a little further out, and Remus just decides to indulge whatever Sirius has done. Maybe he's clocked that Remus is in a foul fucking mood, and he's just stacked the box with chocolate. That would definitely make him feel better.

The moment he gets the box open, his heart stops.

The package is packed high with welsh cakes. Traditional, chocolate chip, even some with peanuts mixed in, from the look of it. They're all wrapped in clear film, tied with a bow that only Hope knows how to do.

Not only that, but there are daffodils stuffed in every space they'd fit into, a tiny Welsh flag, and two little figurines that he would recognise anywhere. One, a Welsh lady that his mum had given him when he was little, faded but still smiling, her checked apron slightly ripped and her bonnet slipping off where the stitches have loosened. The other, a man dressed in a red waistcoat, flat cap and dickie bow. The bow is drooping, and the tiny fake leek practically unrecognisable.

"How-?" Remus looks up at Sirius, stunned. "How did you get these?"

"I... sent your mum a letter." Remus picks up the flag with one hand, brushing his finger across the red dragon on the front. "Why didn't you tell any of us it was a holiday today?"

"I just... it seemed dumb, I don't know," Remus mumbles, trying to blink back tears. He's never been more touched by a gesture in his life. "It's weird to care about St. David's Day this much anyway."

"I think it's nice," Sirius says softly. "Having a holiday you can share with your family like that?"

"Yeah, we... my extended family all do a mini eisteddfod every year," Remus says, unable to help the smile on his face. "I- well, I haven't been in seven years, now."

"Rem..."

"I can't believe you did all of this."

"Yeah, well... I wanted to cheer you up a little." Sirius smiles a little anxiously, as though he's worried that Remus is going to hate it.

Before he can worry any further, Remus leans in and connects their lips. It's only brief, before he pulls away with a smile, lacing his fingers through Sirius'.

"It's amazing. You're amazing. Thank you so much." Sirius blushes, and Remus has never felt luckier in his life, having Sirius by his side. "Right, now you need to try a Welsh cake."

"Oh, it's- I don't really like raisins."

"Neither do I. These don't count, come on."

Maybe St. David's Day can be fun away from Wales.

Maybe anything can be fun when Sirius is involved.

[woosh-floosh-art]

Bits and Pieces: 2024

Went through all my 2024 files and here's all the stuff I didn't post!

Dragon Quest slimes... The idea was to do a slime gacha of some sort but... there's so many slimes man I can't draw them all.

Teeny Sanguini variations. The idea was to make a keychain of each teeny sanguini variation but.. that would cost a lot of money and I don't even know how well does keychains would sell. Maybe people just want basic teeny sanguini and I'm wasting my money buying other keychains.. Oh well. The basic teeny sanguini keychain I ordered has sold well, we'll have to see if I decide to order one of the variations.

Various Ouioui's. I think the goal was to eventually draw them all? I just needed something simple but with some room for experimentation to draw everyday. Early 2024 was a rough time for me.

Fan Ouioui design. This one is good. I would imagine the body of the thing would be a scrunchie so you can put it in your hair or on your wrist.

CMY(K) and spring dango themed galumpin dops.

PEARL DRONE!! The goal was to make stickers, that didn't happen lol. Still cute though...

Various little doodles I thought were cute. Badniks, two headed minecraft calf sticker concept (I didn't think it was very clear in it's design..), kirby :D, alien cow, and a true fact about aphids.

SA2 animal sticker gacha. Like I said, in early 2024 I was really looking for something simple and repetitive to draw with just enough variation to keep things interesting. Like the slimes and the ouiouis this one fizzled out. There was just TOO much variation. I ended up doing all of those gyroids which was perfect for the time and also sold really well as stickers! I also did all those damn kirby stickers which did NOT sell as well.

Okay enough about the grief and depression, let's talk about SONIC OCS!! I really loved the periodical cicada emergence this year so I wanted to make a sonic oc based on them. Her wings are crumpled (like many cicadas I saw this year, unfortunately her and the other cicadas will never fly) but she was some wisp powered roller blades to let her zoom around! I used to do a lot of character design as a teen but now I struggle with it. But I don't think this is that bad of a design? It's fun, she's fun.

Every year for artfight people make new characters based on the theme, and this year I wanted to try as well! He's supposed to be an anthropomorphic ray, a prince that must set out on an adventure! The eyebrow design is cuter but I think the widows peak design better conveys that he is supposed to be a ray. Bottom right is my favorite but I would switch the cutlass for the rapier. It's just a bit more of a princely sword.

Blue eyed cicada sticker concept. During the cicada emergence this year someone found a blue eyed cicada!! This is the mock up if I made stickers of that. I didn't because I was soooo sick of handcutting those damn cicadas, they were not easy to cut. Also they did not sell very well. We need more cicada fans in this world...

Lastly... two pages to a comic I never finished. It was supposed to be the prologue to my oc story but... it's a little scary making comics about original characters! There's a lot more to think about and manage over doing fan comics. I would still like to return to my little world and characters but I just haven't been in the mood for it. Ironically there was only one page left in the prologue but it's been so long I don't think I'm going to finish it!

Also, to try and combat the anxiety that comes with making an original story I didn't plan the layouts at all?? I guess to make the process faster and not worry as much?? The thumbnails in my sketchbook are just loose unconnected panels next to the script. That is not how I typically plan comics... and for good reason! Looks at the paneling in page two! It's bad! It's really bad!! When I come back to my characters I going to have to swallow my fear and put some more time and care into the layouts.

Okay that's all for 2024! I have a couple more things to post from December and then that's a wrap on 2024! Thanks for reading! ^_^

[skyfallscotland]

Things that got me a little frustrated with Onyx Storm in no particular order 💔

Please be nice, this is an addendum to my main Onyx Storm review post, and there is also a post about things I loved 🙏 I'm just a sensitive heart with superior pattern recognition (I'm mentally ill lol) and I struggle when I don't understand things—and I understood nothing.

I find it really hard to just go with the flow, I hate it when I don't understand things, and being confused just didn't make for a good reading experience for me. So here goes:

The magic system being entirely retconned.

“It’s beautiful,” I whisper. I’m marked by their magic as a rider now, as their rider.

It's consistently referred to as "their" magic or "Andarna's magic" or "Tairn's magic" in the first two books, but in this one, the continent has magic and outside it, they're powerless?

Oh, except Vi for...reasons?

The marked ones all having second signets? This felt like fan service or a retcon. Why haven't any of them gone crazy? Because statistically some of them should have (and it would have at least been interesting). And if Liam could wield ice and use farsight, and that wasn't initially an error, why not wield it when Deigh was literally being chewed to death?

Continuous mentions of Xaden hearing actual fucking thoughts for god's sake that just get dropped and never picked up again? Par for the course. Don't even talk to me about it, I'm done.

Sgaeyl not talking to Xaden all book? Does she realise she would have died too, they all would have died if he hadn't done what he did? Mum pls the silent treatment sucks (this might be a personal trauma so we can probably scratch it, actually)

Andarna leaving then coming back almost immediately? I get it, she wanted to meet her shitty family, but this would have had more impact if she'd stayed when they were on the island. It felt like I got teary at her exit for nothing, like it was a ploy. I think I have whiplash.

Violet saying quite literally her most pressing need is information and then deciding no actually it's to know what her baby dragon is dreaming about in her dreamless sleep? Is this a joke? 😭

Violet is suddenly Adrian Ivashkov 💀 And what’s that got to do with who they are at their core? I’m lost! 😭

Also, those not-dreams never being explained? Like we know it's Berwyn calling him, but seriously Xaden, click on pls!

Xaden's mother showing up for...no reason? Really? Nice emotional arc, I enjoyed it, it was one of my favourite sequences, but she wasn't important to the story at all and we just?? Left?????

(I also want to punch her in the face, how dare she)

Finding out Halden's been doing...something??? At the Isles this whole time?? For Reasons, I guess??? I don't know, someone else might need to explain that to me.

(How I felt ^) Oh! And him being a twin? Basic information we could have known before—and I still don't know what happened to Alic, really. Like I want the whole story? 🥺

Violet's hair, the temple, all of that someone's going to have to explain to me like I'm five too because it's not clicking, I'm sorry. Also the temples/priestesses have magic? Their own different type of magic? And they aren't venin either? What makes a venin, a venin? My head is still spinning.

Aetos being back defying all logic (the aide to exile to in charge of everything pipeline really is something) and then he disappears entirely and is irrelevant? 😭 Why bring him back at all? What was the reason?

This is like the continuity that says Degrensi kicked Varrish out for being too torture-y and then they put him in charge of torturing kids, and then Degrensi followed Varrish's orders (even though he's below him in the chain of command and he hates him) last year to keep Xaden away from Violet all the time, but wait, now Degrensi gives no fucks about following orders???? I'm?? I just spent so much time being like wait, what?

Xaden who can literally command shadows for some reason not being able to sneak into Violet's room? And that same Xaden having zero control so they can't have sex, but then suddenly when it was time for another evenly spaced out sex scene, him being totally fine????? Is it ✨a mindset✨ ??

Violet having her memories wiped? For? Reasons???? Seriously for what purpose could the literal wedding ceremony part not have been remembered, please, that’s just mean Rebecca.

Aaric just Not telling anyone about his signet even though it would have meant more people living??? Aaric's name being CAMLAEN?????

I get that that’s a literary device, but on top of everything else I still felt like I was chasing my tail 😩

Professor Riorson teaching everyone for months, incl that signets have perfect counters, like his shadows and Violet's lightning, then sending Violet off to face the lightning/storm wielding gal while he went to face a guy he's literally incapable of killing? HELLO, should you not realise and switch?! Don’t be a dumb dumb (also a literary choice but it annoyed me so it’s here, please never battle the elite four Xaden, you’d fail).

Also oh look there's no rune on Brennan's neck like the one on his hand—sorry WHAT? are we implying that's from Naolin mending him or what? Do you know about it? Fucking say so, you sure as fuck haven't told us Vi???? It really bothers me that Violet apparently knows things and we don't. I feel like that's what third-person-POV is for, if you want to do things like that.

I still don’t know why venin can channel within the wards at all? And the wardstone was so easily altered after all that drama in IF?

Why aren't we reading Lilith's journals? Vi, sweetheart, please, give me some joy here.

Where are the other foster kids??? I still can't see how they're safe and not leverage, especially now it's looking like it will be a full-on secession bid once more.

Tyrrendor mines talladium?!

SURPRISE GRANDMA??? PLEASE!!

As you can see, I have a lot of questions—more than I had at the end of the last book, because none of those were answered, so I just have...this bigger pile of questions.

If you can read along and not think about any of these things and just not be bothered by the not knowing of it all, then I'm jealous of you. I really, really wish I could, but that's just not how my brain works and as someone with a mental illness I get tired of having to defend that to other people, it makes me feel like shit, honestly. I don’t want to think about these things, I just do. Like yeah, I hate my brain too but I have to live with it.

There were plenty of things I liked about this book, but my overall experience was that it felt messy, chaotic, and overwhelming.

Even the end—I still don't understand what happened fully, and I know that's on purpose, but after not understanding anything the whole book and having my questions from the last book go unanswered, I don't exactly appreciate it as a literary technique, I just find it frustrating 😟

In any case, these are just my out-of-pocket, personal opinions typed up late at night with zero filter, please don't come for me (lol), you don't need to agree—in fact, I know people don't, I ran a poll—this is just...how I'm feeling right now. It's a sucky feeling, but it is what it is.

I hope I can do a re-read at some point and enjoy it more, and get a better grasp on things, but for now...🖤